Balsamic-Glazed Chicken and Bell Pepper Sandwich

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken and Red Bell Pepper Sandwich

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/4 pounds chicken breast tenders
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, divided
2 cups red bell pepper strips (about 2 medium)
2 cups vertically sliced onion (about 1 large)
2 (8-ounce) loaves focaccia bread, cut in half horizontally
4 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt over chicken. Add chicken to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Add 1/4 cup vinegar; cook 2 minutes or until chicken is done and vinegar is syrupy. Remove chicken mixture from the pan; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel.
2. Return pan to medium-high heat; add remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add bell pepper and onion; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 cup vinegar; cook 1 minute or until vinegar is syrupy.
3. Arrange chicken mixture evenly over bottom halves of bread; top with bell pepper mixture. Arrange cheese over pepper mixture, and sprinkle with black pepper. Top with top halves of bread. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; let stand 5 minutes. Cut each sandwich into 6 wedges.

Found in Cooking Light. 433 calories per sandwich

My notes:

I used a pita instead of focaccia bread, but it was still really good. Loved the red pepper/onion mixture, but the vinegar almost overpowered it. Next time I'll use a little less on the veggies, but use the same amount on the chicken. Overall, very tasty sandwich.

Mediterranean Chicken

Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes
16 pitted Greek or ripe olives, sliced
3 tablespoons capers, drained
Feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:
1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 2-3
minutes on each side or until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, olives and capers.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 475° for 10-14 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Yield: 4 servings.

From www.tasteofhome.com.

My notes:
This was fantastic! Quick and very easy! Very delicious combo and excellent paired with a nice bread and a little salad.

Stuffed bell peppers

Stuffed Bell Peppers (special edition with elk meat!)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb lean ground beef (I used ground elk)- 10%or less fat
1 C cooked white rice (I used brown rice)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 C tomato puree or tomato sauce
1 tsp minced fresh thyme (I used dried)
1 tsp minced fresh basil (I used dried)
1 tsp minced fresh sage (I used dried rosemary)
1/4 C thawed frozen green peas
4 bell peppers, tops cut off and seeded
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Bring a pot of water to a boil; add bell peppers and boil for 5-7 minutes. Remove from pot and let cool in baking or casserole dish.
2. Heat oil in a skillet; cook meat, onions and garlic until meat is no longer pink. Mix tomato paste, tomato sauce, thyme, basil and sage. Add tomato paste/sauce/spice mixture, rice and peas to skillet; cook until heated through. Loosely stuff the peppers with the mixture and sprinkle parmesan cheese on the top.
3. Place dish in oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, until filling is completely cooked. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional information (per 1 stuffed pepper):
Approximately 224 calories, 6g fat, 19mg Chol, 268mg sodium, 29g carbs, 4g fiber, 15g protein

My notes:
LOVE THIS! This is my take on the WW recipe since I wanted to brown the meat and onions in the skillet before cooking in the oven (didn't have foil to cover it like it calls for in the recipe). The elk meat was delicious and the peas were a great addition to this dish. Very highly recommended.

Spanish Tortilla

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 medium potatoes, cooked and diced
1 (10 oz) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup fat-free egg substitute
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Sauté the onions until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, spinach, egg substitute, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme and nutmeg. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, until set and browned on bottom, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Loosen the edges with knife and invert onto warm platter, or serve directly from skillet.

Nutritional information (per serving- 1/4 of tortilla):
145 calories (or 2 WW points), 3g fat, 435mg sodium, 22g carb, 4g fiber, 10g protein

My notes:
I liked this, but it definitely needs something...maybe some cheese or something. I'll have to work on it. Next time I might take away some of the potatoes and add more egg substitute. Also, I'd recommend mixing the potatoes, spinach, egg subs., parsley and spices up beforehand, just to make it easier to mix into the onion/garlic mixture.

Herbed Italian Sandwiches

Herbed Italian Sandwiches















Ingredients:
1 flat loaf herbed focaccia bread
Olive oil spray
1/3 C mayonnaise
2 Tbsp prepared pesto
1/4-1/3 lb each turkey, roast beef, salami
1/3-1/2 lb thin sliced provolone

Directions:
Preheat oven on broil. Slice bread in half lengthwise (creating top and bottom layer). Spray the cut side of each layer with olive oil (or brush with olive oil). Place bread oilside up on a cookie sheet and place under broiler for approximately 5 minutes, until just beginning to turn golden brown. Watch closely to avoid burning. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise and pesto. Spread mixture evenly on both halves of toasted bread. Place meat and cheese on bread in layers. Add top of bread and slice into 6-8 smaller sandwiches.


Loved this one!! Will definitely be making this again!! Going to substitute the mayo with greek yogurt next time, so we'll see how that goes.

Red Curry with Vegetables

Red Curry with Vegetables

Ingredients
4 tsp canola oil, divided
1 lb extra-firm tofu, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 lb sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can lite coconut milk
1/2 C vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp red Thai curry paste
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 C fresh cilantro, chopped


Directions
1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook, stirring every 2 or 3 minutes, until browned (6-8 minutes total). Transfer to a plate.

2. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally until browned, 4-5 minutes. Add coconut milk, broth and curry paste to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is just tender, about 4 minutes. Add the tofu, green beans and brown sugar; return to a simmer and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the green beans are tender-crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in lime juice and salt. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.


Nutritional info:
Serves 4
Calories per serving: 348


My favorite part of this recipe was definitely the sweet potatoes. Could do with some more spice since the coconut milk and vegetable/chicken broth dilutes the red curry paste a lot when it's added. Also needs more salt and some pepper when served. Overall a lot of prep work, but I'd make it again...with a few changes. :)

Recipe found at eatingwell.com

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries


















Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika (smoke paprika preferred, but I used regular)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Slice potatoes in half legthwise and then cut each half into four wedges. Toss the wedges with the oil, cayenne pepper, salt and paprika, then lay the pieces on a baking sheet. Bake for 35-45 minutes (turn halfway through) until they're browned on the outside and tender all the way through.


1 serving. Approx. calories per serving: 151


Recipe found at womenshealthmag.com

So I figured I'd start us off with a recipe instead of just talking. This is what I made tonight for a side dish to my Boca Burger. Definitely packs a punch, so you might cut back a little on the spices if you don't know if you want it that spicy.